What to look for before Bucs' second round pick

Okay, we've talked at length about what we think the Bucs are going to do with the first of their two second round picks tonight. Notre Dame receiver Golden Tate is still on the board. So, too, is USC defensive end Everson Griffen and many others.

So, it's clear the Bucs are going to get a good player. But they don't have total control of their fate. They have the third pick in the second round, after all. So, what are the teams ahead of them thinking, and how might it affect the Bucs?

The Rams, who pick first, are sitting back and considering their options. One of those options is trading down.

"We just have to figure out ... keep the pick, or if it's an option, we'll see whether to trade the pick," GM Billy Devaney said according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "And then how far, how deep we want to go back.

That might make a Bucs fan a little nervous because it means a player the team is targeting might not get to pick 35. But the good news is this: There's a good chance that any teams wishing to trade up would do so for one of two interesting quarterbacks left: Colt McCoy or Jimmy Clausen. That would leave the Bucs' options intact.

Don't discount the Rams taking a receiver though. That's an area they're expected to target in this draft, and it would have a direct impact on the Bucs if St. Louis did that.

Next up are the Vikings, who swapped with Detroit last night. They are said to be looking at defensive ends, which could possibly conflict with the Bucs who are also looking for pass-rush help. But Minnesota could also opt for one of the quarterbacks seeing how Brett Favre is about 68-years old or so. Equally likely, according to reports out of the Twin Cities, is the selection of a defensive tackle (Brian Price of UCLA?) or an offensive lineman. So, the Vikings are no sure thing to nab a defensive end the Bucs might be longing for.

Anyhow, it'll get interesting as the evening goes on, and there certainly will be more suspense about tonight's first three picks than Thursday night's.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans: Keep up with your team news on Bucs Beat, our blog for all things Bucs. Tampa Bay Times sports writers keep you posted on the latest Bucs news, and you can weigh in with your own thoughts.